Berkley City Councilmember Eileen Steadman has been a special education teacher in the Royal Oak schools for 37 years, so she knows the effects bullying can have on children.

“Bullying is a huge issue we have to deal with,” Steadman said. “I’ve taught all age levels of special education children and they get bullied more.”

Steadman has four grandkids who live with her, so she looks at the issue in a more personal way, too. Steadman was attending a Feb. 5 luncheon of the Berkley Rotary Club, along with other Berkley officials, to hear Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Judith Levy talk about bullying and what their office can do to help. Two tables of Royal Oak Rotarians also attended.

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Levy said that prevention is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. When her office receives a complaint, which can be anonymous, a notice is sent to the school involved. The goal is to achieve voluntary compliance.

“I have four young daughters, so I’m here as a parent to learn and make sure they are educated,” said 45A District Court Judge Jamie Wittenberg, who has a court program that deals with middle and high school teens who are in trouble, sometimes as a result of bullying.

“There’s as huge correlation between bullying and substance abuse,” said Judy Rubin, executive director of the Tri-Community Coalition of Berkley, Huntington Woods and Oak Park. “When kids are bullied, they feel out of the mainstream, so they seek other ways of being accepted, and substance abusers are accepting.

“Bullies, too. They don’t feel great about themselves and may turn to drugs. When you feel bad about yourself, you participate in risky behavior.”

Berkley Rotary is partnering with the Berkley School District to help prevent bullying of children and has presented two anti-bullying programs at Anderson Middle School. A grant from Rotary International District 6380, which includes the Berkley and Royal Oak Rotary Clubs, will provide funds to create and distribute anti-bullying information, according to Berkley Rotary President Paul Benson.

“We are developing signage that’s going into Berkley businesses, along with a companion piece with emergency contact information for help with substance abuse, bullying and harassment,” Benson said. “By being proactive and aggressive in dealing with this issue, we could be saving lives.”

“I think any possible way we can reduce bullying through education and information from various sources will help us to have a better society,” said Berkley Councilmember Alan Kideckel.

Royal Oak Rotary moves, welcomes new members

The Royal Oak Rotary Club has moved its weekly meetings to the Royal Oak Woman’s Club and the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce was there to welcome them with a ribbon cutting before their first meeting on Feb. 19.

Royal Oak Rotary will now meet at the historic clubhouse at 404 S. Pleasant St. at 12:15 p.m. every Tuesday. The club welcomes those who might be interested in becoming Rotarians to attend their meetings, enjoy a delicious catered lunch and interesting program.

The next program, on Tuesday, will feature Troy Rotary president and motivational speaker Michael Angelo Caruso on the topic, “How to interest someone in 15 seconds.”

For information, call Royal Oak Rotary President Barbara Wheeler at 248-549-0935.

Relay for Life kick-off

If you’ve always wanted to learn more about the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and how to participate, here’s your chance. Everyone is welcome to the Relay for Life of the Greater Royal Oak Area informational kick-off program Tuesday at Farina’s Banquet Center, 2485 Coolidge Highway in Berkley.

Registration begins at 6 p.m. and the program starts at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. An RSVP is requested to Michael Hull, at 248-663-3487 or 248-828-5940, or by emailing Michael.hull@cancer.org. Relay for Life raises money to fund lifesaving research, programs and services to fight cancer.

Royal Oak Musicale to help music majors

For more than 75 years, Royal Oak Musicale has given financial awards to graduating seniors from schools in Royal Oak and surrounding communities who plan to major in music.

This year’s application deadline is Monday, March 18, with auditions set for Sunday, March 24.

For application information and forms, call Grace Brockett at 248-435-2753.

Symphony concert celebrates spring

The Royal Oak Symphony will present their Spring Concert at 8 p.m. Friday, March 1 at Royal Oak Middle School’s Dondero Auditorium, 709 N. Washington Ave.

Adam Riccinto will conduct the orchestra in a program which will include Franz Schubert’s “Symphony No. 8 in B minor, unfinished,” as well as selections from “West Side Story” and Morton Gould’s “American Salute.”

Tickets are available at the door for $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors age 60 and over.

Owl Hoot at Cummingston Park

Wear boots and appropriate clothing when you bring the family to the Royal Oak Nature Society’s popular Owl Hoot at Cummingston Park at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 1.

Your naturalist guide will lure screech and great horned owls with recordings of their own calls. Park and meet at the park entrance at Torquay Avenue and Leafdale Boulevard.

Comedian raises funds for kid’s program

About this time last year, I wrote about local comedian Leslie Ann Thompson and her quest to win the nationwide Improv Comedy Club’s Video Upload Talent Search.

Thompson placed in the top three out of 324 comics competing, and was flown to Las Vegas for the April 1 final competition, where she took second place. She went on to perform there for a week in December and has been asked to return for another week in April.

Her popularity has also taken off at home, with many appearances around the area. Now she is headlining a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Oakland County’s YouthAbilities program on Saturday, March 2, at O’Mara’s Irish Restaurant, 2555 12 Mile Road in Berkley.

YouthAbilities is one of the few recreational programs in Oakland County for children with disabilities, from paraplegics to children with autism, according to Boys & Girls Clubs Executive Director Brett Tillander.

Also appearing will be new stand-up Peggy Neilson Beattie as emcee and comedian Steve Lind. Lind has a son who is autistic, so this appearance will have special meaning for him.

Tickets are just $15. The last show sold out, so make reservations now at 248-399-6750.

Have news about your club, organization or interesting individuals in Southeast Oakland County you would like to share with the community? Email Jeanne Towar at jeanne.towar@gmail.com or call 248-890-8370.